In an automobile, power windows are windows which can be raised and lowered by depressing a button or switch of some sort, as opposed to using a hand-turned crank. Power windows are usually inoperable when the car is not running.
The first power windows were introduced around 1946. [1]
Power windows have come under some scrutiny after several fatal accidents in which childrens' necks have become trapped, leading to suffocation. Some designs place the switch in a location on a handrest where it can be accidentally triggered by a child climbing to place his or her head out the window.
To this end, many newer vehicles with power windows have a driver-controlled lockout switch, preventing passengers (usually smaller children) from accidentally triggering the switches.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims to be working on power window safety regulations, but has not established a date for their introduction.
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